Gingrich coming to Spokane

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will hold a campaign rally downtown Spokane on Thursday afternoon.

His Washington campaign coordinator said Gingrich will be at The Bing Theater at 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. It was earlier described by Spokane County GOP officials as a town hall style meeting, but state campaign officials later called it a rally.

Gingrich, despite being from Georgia, has noteworthy ties to Inland Northwest politics that he may or may not dwell on in his visit.

He engineered the 1994 Republican sweep that -- among other things -- took leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives away from Spokane when Republican George Nethercutt beat sitting House Speaker Tom Foley, a Democrat. Republicans, after capturing control of the House that year, chose Gingrich to replace Foley.

Washington holds its precinct caucuses on March 3. Idaho's caucuses are March 6.